Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Y is for Yetholm, and a Yarrow Ballad

YETHOLM is actually two villages - Kirk Yetholm and Town Yetholm straddling the Bowmont Water, and nestling in the Cheviot foothills, about 1 mile from the English-Scottish Borders.

http://en.wikipedia.org

The
opening in 1965 of the long distance walk the Pennine Way, helped to
make Yetholm more widely known, as it marks the end of this 270 mile
national trail along the "backbone of England" from the Derbyshire Peak
District, across the Yorkshire Dales and through Northumberland
National Park. The last stage across the Cheviot Hills into Scotland
is the most challenging section - a lonely 27 miles of uninhabited land.
The Border Hotel at Kirk Yetholm marks the official end - a grand opportunity to celebrate with a drink, some food and a bed!

The YARROW valley in the Scottish Borders could well earn the title of the home of Border ballads, The 19th century novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott spent much time there gathering material for his "Minstrelsy of the Scottish Borders". Tower Houses across Yarrow and its neighbour Ettrick Valley are evidence of a turbulent past of raiding and ‘reiving’ not only across
the Scottish - English border, but between warring Border families - as recounted in the ballads.

A lonely road in the Yarrow Valley

"The Dowie Dens of Yarrow"
is one of the best known of the Border Ballads, telling a cruel tale of
love and death. A young man is lured into combat with rival suitors - or
in some version the girl's brothers - and killed by a cowardly sword
stroke. His corpse is flung into the Yarrow Water, until his love
rescues his bodyt

"Dowie dens" means "doleful glens" Like many a Border ballad, ii is a long tale - 20 verses - so here are a few to give you a flavour of the story.

At Dryhope lived a lady fair

The fairest flower in Yarrow

And she refused nine noble men

For a servant lad in Gala.

Her father said that he should fight

The nine lords all tomorrow

And he that should the victor be

Would ge' the Rose of Yarrow.

They've taen the young man by the heels And trailed him like a barrowAnd there they flung the comely youth In a whirlpool o' Yarrow. But she wandred east and, so did she westAnd searched the forest thoroughUntil she spied her ain true loveLying deeply drowend in Yarrow. She kissed his lips and combed his headAs oft she'd done before,o;She laid him on her milk white steedAn bore him, home from Yarrow."

On a less tragic note, English poet William Wordsworth made a number of visits to Yarrow, meeting fellow writers Sir Walter Scott and James Hogg and penned these words

"Should life be dull and spirits low T'will soothe us in our sorrowThat earth has something left to showThe bonny Holmes of Yarrow"

About Me

I have been interested in family history for years. It all began when I was allowed as a child to look through the old family photographs and memorabilia kept in a shoebox in the cupboard at my grandfather's house. That treat started me on a fascinating ancestral trail.